Source: matteroftrust.org
Published: December 9, 2015
Solar technology from Down Under will soon be providing power in California, as the company behind the world’s first-ever floating solar plant just exported its technology to the U.S. CleanTechnica reports that Sydney-based Infratech Industries has sold its floating solar technology to the City of Holtville, an agricultural center in southeast California. The planned 1 megawatt system appealed to the people of Holtville due to its ability to save vital farmland space, while providing clean energy. Holtville’s system will include a total of 3576 solar panels floating on 276 rafts with 12 treatment pumps.
The technology behind Infratech’s solar system was developed by a team of 15 engineers and academics from the Nano Science and Technology Department at Australia’s Flinders University. The company installed its first-ever showcase project earlier this year in Jamestown, South Australia.
All components needed for the project will be made in Australia, a place Infratech CEO, Rajesh Nellore experience similar environmental conditions as those in the Holtville area. “Australia, like Holtville, is an arid area subject to harsh climates and drought,” he notes. “Floating solar and other sustainable initiatives can ensure farmers have access to renewable power and clean water without using valuable land. Holtville and Jamestown are proof points of what is possible when people look to sustainable infrastructure initiatives to power their communities.”